Spotlamp for vehicles



June 23, 1931. R. H. HUMMERT SPOTLAMP FOR VEHICLES Filed Sept. 7. 1929 ATTORNE Y IN VEN TOR W,

VEPatented June 23, 1931 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE ROBERT H. HUMMERT,OF DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE S. H. THOMSON MAN UFAC- TURING COMPANY,OF DAYTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO srorLAMr ron vEHrcLEs Applicationfiled September 7, 1929i Serial No. 391,038.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in spotlamps forvehicles.

,It is one of the principal objects of my invention to provide a simple,compact and attractive spot lamp for automobiles, or airplanes. It mayalso be conveniently operatedto turn the lamp to a desired position forbrilliantly illuminating the roadway in front, at the side or in therear of the car,

` or plane.

It is another object of my invention to provide a floating gear forconnection to the lamp housing to permit the latter to be silent- Vlyand efficiently rotated by the horizontal operating shaft. This gearalso facilitates the adjustment with it of the pinion onthe operatingshaft, to obviate backlash.

It is another object of my invention to pro- -5 vide a self-aliningsleeve bracket which is constructedV to fit the contour of therespective vehicle part to which it is applied, thereby eliminatingspecial drilling xtures, to simplify and reduce the time of itsinstallakg tion. In other spot lamps it is first necessary to drill theVholein the ber and then lit the bracket to it.

4It is another object of my invention to provide channels in the sleevebracket and lamp housing to receive and completely enclose the lampwire.

Another object of my invention is to provide an adjustable stuing boxfor tensioning the movement of the lamp body around the vertical post.

OtherY important and incidental objects will'be brought out in thefollowing specification and particularly set forth in the subjoinedclaims.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating my invention, Figure 1 isalongitudinal sectional view taken through my improvedV spot lamp forvehicles.

Figure 2 is a perspective view from the rear,

of my spot lamp applied toga corner post of. an automobile. Fig- Figure1.

ure 3 is a cross sectional view taken through the gear casing on theline 3 3 of Figure 1. And Figure 4 is a cross sectional view takenthrough the gear casing on the vline 4-4 of Referring to theaccompanying drawings supporting mem-- 3 is attached by screws 4, 4,although it may c be secured to other parts of the car. The bracket 3comprises a cylindrical casting formed with an axial hole to tightlyreceive an outside tube 5 which is lixedly secured to said bracket byset screws 6, 6.

At its rear end, the casting?) terminates in a flange 7 whichis formedto lit the contour of the part of the car to which it is attached by theset screws 4, 4. At its front end the casting 3 is formed with a reducedannular portion 8 to receive the flanged annular end 9 of a gear housing10. A. pin 11 projecting into the latter from the casting 3, is free toturn between two radial stops 12, 12 projecting inwardly from the innersurface of the said gear housing.

The axial shaft receiving hole in the casting 3 is'continued below itsround portion in the form of a channel to receive a light wire 13 whichalso projects through a hole in the corner post 2.

The gear housing 10 comprises a hollow cylindrical casting which is freeto turn on the bracket 3 as a bearing, and which terminates at its frontend in a ball portion 14 having a flat top containing a tapped holethrough which a hollow vertical post 15 projects. The lower end of thepost is threaded so that it can be screwed into a tapped hole in thecenter of a web 16 cast in the front part of the ball end of the gearcasting 10.

` The gear casting 10 contains an axial hole to tightly receive a hollowoperative shaft 17 and to which it is flxedly secured by a screw 18. Theshaft 17 is rotatable within the fixed tube 5 to turn the gear casting10 which carries a lamp housing 19.

The lamp housing or shell 19 is preferably of the shape shown in thedrawings, supporting-'within it in a more or less conventional manner anelectric incandescent Alamp 20 to which the lamp wire 13 leads.

' Surrounding the post 15 above the web 16 is a bevel gear 20a having anupwardly projecting stepped sleeve portion 21 which is threaded at itsupper end. Screwed into the tapped kholein the to-p of the ball part 14vof the gear housing 1() is a housing cap nut 22 which, through itsengagement Withrthe lower shoulder 23 on the gear 20a, prevents the.latter from coming out. j Y

Resting upon the cap nut 22 is a spacer ring 24 upon which the flatbottom portion-of the lamp housing 19 rests. Upon the top surface of thebottom portion of the lamp housingv isl a washer 25 against which bearsa nut 26 screwed upon the upper threaded Vend of the sleeve portion 21of the gear 20a to firmly secure the lamp housing to the gear. Y

Inserted in the top of the nut 26 is a funnel shaped stuffing box 27Vwhich'rejceives a conical friction washer 28 upon which rests a metalwasher129. A nut 30 screwed on the threaded top end ofthe post 15resiliently presses the stuiiing'boX 27 into the Washer 28to place thegear 2()L under vertical spring tension on the post 15. Therefore, whena beveled pinion 31 fixed to the outer end of anv operating shaft 32L ismeshed with the "fioating'gear 20a, the nut 30 is free to be screweddownon the post to place the gear Vunder suiicient, tension' for aproper mesh Y with the pinion31'at all times.

The rear Vend of the tube-5 is taperedfand Y externallythrea'ded toreceive rst a lock nut 33 and then an adjusting nut 34 to `provide adouble reinforcing bearing for the shaft 17.k IVhen the adjusting nut 34 is drawn against the tube 5, it presses the taper thedesired degreeagainst the tube irrespective of any imperfections in it. Thenut. c

, 34 is held in its adjustedv position by the lock nut 33.V Y Y lT01/thelouter end of the hollow shaft 17 there issecuredby a screw 35 asemi-spherical handle portion 36. Thishandle portion 36,

' which is preferably made of bakelite, has a central recess 37 in whichthere is molded a brassinsert 38 through a hole in which theA attachingscrew 35 projects to engage the shaft 17 for the purpose of` turning itwhen f the handle portion 36 is rotated. The turning of this shaft17'will move the gear housingv Y 10 around the vbracket [sleeve 3 .asuflicient 32 isv freeto rotate in, and' passes through,

the hollow shaft. 17. Secured to the outer end. of the shaft 32-by ascrew 39 is a semispherical handle-portion 40. This handle portion40which isLpreferably-made of balielit'e, is complementall to thehandle: portion 36.v tov form with the latter an lattractive sphericalknob. 'The' handleportion 40 also has acentralrecess inwhich there ismolded a brass insert 41 through a hole-in which the attaching screw'39. projects to engage the shaft 32. By turning the handle portion 40,the spot lamp 19 may berotated horizontally to a desired position aboutthe post 10 4irrespective of the position of the handle portion 36.

A control stop provided by two extending lugs 42,- 42 on the insidesurface fof the ball portion 14 of the gear housing 10, limits themovement of t-he gear 20a in each direction through contact ofV a screwV43 on the gear with one orthe other ofsaid lugs. Thus,

the stop mechanism on thegear. v In other trolled through the gear.'vr ln A From the above description it will be seen thatmy improved spot-lampmay notonly be conveniently operated by the driver of the automobile,Vbut that the floating gear 20aA has a proper engagement with the pinion31v at all times and that the bracket sleeve 3 blends with, and forms ayrigid bearing for, the gear housing 10 which carries the spot lampassembly. j 4

Having described invention, I claim:

A 1. In a deviceV of theV type described, a' horizontal supportattachable vto a vehicle, a gear housing free to turn vertically on'saidsupport, ahollowshaft passing through said support andconnected to thegear housing toV turn it, said housing havingA a hole inv its topportion, a post proj ectingy upwardlyjthrough said hole, a shaftVpassing .throughthe hollow sha-ft, 'a pinion on the second shaft,alfloating gear 'surrounding saidV post fork engagement with saidpinion, and a lampv housing secured to the floating' gear. y v a Y.

2. VIn a deviceof'the type described, a horizontal supp-ort attachableto a vehicle, ay gear housing free to turn Vvertically on saidsupport,Va hollow shaft passing through said support and connected to the gearihousing to.

` lamp housing secured to said gear, an adjustable resilient member onthe upper end of said post-,land downwardly movable resilient meansadapted to-.be engaged-by the, adjust-Z'A kable member to tension theengagement .of

said gearwith thepinion. j

In a device of Ythe type described,a horizontal support attachable to'a,vehicle,` a gear housing free to turn Vvertically on sa-id sup'-Vport, a` hollow shaft passing through' said' supportl andconnectedtofthe gear housing to turn it, saidhousinghaving a hole inits' top portion, a post projecting upwardlythrough said hole, a` shaftpassing through the hollow shaft, a pinion on the second shaft, a gearvon said post for engagement with saidpinwhen the control lrnob portion40 is turned, the horizontalA movement of the lamp housing 19 `about thepost 10 will be limited by ion, a lamp housing, annular means on thegear for securing the lamp housing to it, a1 :funnel shaped stufing boxon the upper end? of the post for engagement with the lamp 5 securingmeans, a conical fiber washer alsoy on the post for engagement with thestuiling' box, the upper end of said post being threaded, and a nut onthe threaded end of the post to exert a downward pressure against saidwasher for the purpose specified.

4. In a device of the type described, a horizontal support attachable toa vehicle, a gear housing free to turn vertically on said support, ahollow shaft passing through said support and connected to the gearhousing to turn it, said housing having a hole in its top portion, a webin said housing, a post projecting upwardly from said web, a shaftprojecting through the hollow shaft, a pinion on the second shaft, agear on said post for engagement with said pinion, a threaded sleeveprojecting upwardly from said gear, a lamp housing having a bottom partiitted over the sleeve portion of said gear, a nut on the threadedsleeve portion of the gear to exert a downward pressure against thebottom of the lamp housing, a funnel shaped stuing box on the post forentrance into said nut, a conical ber washer for engagement with thestuing box, and a nut on the upper threaded end of said post to exert adownward pressure on the fiber washer for the purpose specifled.

5. In a device of the type described, a horizontal support attachable toa vehicle, a gear housing free to turn vertically on said support, saidhousing having a ,hole in its top portion, a post projecting upwardlythrough said hole, a horizontal operating shaft passing into the gearhousing through the support, a pinion on said shaft, a gear on the postin mesh with the pinion, a lamp housing secured to the gear, aprojection on the gear, and two spaced lugs on the inner surface of thegear housing for contact by the projection on the gear to limit themovement of the gear, and through it the horizontal movement of the lamphousing, in either direction.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my 5o hand this 6th day ofSeptember, 1929.

' ROBERT I-I. HUMMERT.

